More cuts on LIRR

Which work rules?? which projects? It seems like this budget crisis is a blessing for those people who want to bust the unions.

LIRR estimates $52M in cuts
Originally published: April 6, 2010 9:11 PM
Updated: April 6, 2010 9:41 PM
By OLIVIA WINSLOW [email protected]

An estimated $52 million in cuts that the Long Island Rail Road must make could mean a reduction in the number of cars on some trains and changes in certain work rules, LIRR president Helena Williams told the Long Island Regional Planning Council Tuesday.

"I have to tell you this is extraordinarily painful," Williams told the council, which had invited her to speak about how the railroad is handling the fiscal crisis.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, of which the LIRR is a part, already had adopted a budget with drastic service reductions and employee cuts. Then, the agency learned it was facing another $400-million shortfall because of lower-than-expected tax revenue and reduced state aid. The $52 million is a portion of that total shortfall.

Williams called the $52 million in further cutbacks a "significant challenge."

"We'll do it through reductions in overtime, in reductions in the size of our trains," she said. "We'll do it through project deferral, and we are looking at those work rules that we don't have to negotiate over."

She was not specific about which projects could be affected or which work rules were being reviewed

well, might as well bring it out in the open because the cat is out of the bag. Yes, they have absolutely gone after all union type jobs with no hesitation. Just when some thought that it was a small number, all of us know that the potential exist for up to 300 Trainmen in 5 years. Meanwhile, the 10% reduction in pay for management has been tossed out the window. No longer an issue, not even an option. As Mr. Walder gets his way, expect turnstiles and possibly two men train crews, Engineer and Conductor. Much like any other major company in corporate America, reward the brass, screw the workers, and screw the customers. It's all about the money. I said it before, its funny how an orginization that is in the business of providing a service is more interested in cutting the service and the essentials to service, then to cut the expenses for where it should be cut. By the time ESA opens up, there will be nobody to ride it because there will be no jobs left, and nobody left in New York, except the fat cats.

What is the summer timetable going to look like? Is Port Wash going to hourly off-peak in May or September? The hourly service in effect now during the afternoon because of the track work is crazy. Those trains are very crowded. Passengers will be riding on the roof like they do in some third world nation. With trainmen not gating met games after this weekend most passengers will learn that you can ride to a Met game for free because the train will be packed and no one will check your ticket when you get off at Willets-Point

Blame who you want, but the facts are that the money just isn't there and the only way to meet the budget will be to make cuts. I don't think these cuts will be permanent, but more cyclical in nature. As the economy picks up and a combination of tax revenues and ridership increases you will see the budget and service for the LIRR expand.

Traditionally government run agencies and those with unions, of which the LIRR falls under both categories, lag the private sector when it comes to cyclical "rebalancing" due to changes in the state of the economy. We are seeing the private sector begin to pick-up again, once it gets some more steam (no pun intended) and profits go up, they will end up paying more taxes and hiring for more positions. This extra tax revenue will trickle down to agencies such as the LIRR and you will see expansion. It's only a matter of time.

Why run 12 car trains on the weekend to Port Wash, Long Beach, and such when the branches cannot safely accommodate more then 10 cars. The average trains should run with 8 cars
I can see it on the Long Beach in the summer, but only on select trains, but its very dangerous.
4 8-car platforms
10 10-car platforms
1* 12- car woodside stop *(Jamaica W/B track 1/2)
Long Beach is a special arrangement of 6-8-10 cars.
Select trains= those requiring 12 cars
It's time the Manipulation of Equipment re-manipulated and the only trains that have 12 cars are requiring 12 cars
This should have been done earlier.
With hourly service on the Port Washington branch, they might as well run 14 car trains and making double stops or making east cars and west cars only set up. 1 B-end toggle is thrown dividing the consist into 2 7-car trains
Someone better figure out how they can run 4 cars on some branches and trains. I don't care how they do it. they just better figure out how , and make it will work.

The number that Mark has mentioned is a possibility but within 1-3 years, not 5. A recent study has shown that we can expand service and still reduce some of the workforce by streamlining our staffing. The technology exists and all that was required was the political will to accomplish this goal. Over the next year, union contracts will be revisited and you will be suprised what you thought was your work only, really isn't and can be passed on to lower paid employees, eliminated or outsourced.

So as I said before this budget issue is very convenient for those who want to eliminate staffing. One might think it is exaggerated. What would have happened if the payroll tax worked? It wouldn't have been as easy to reduce staff.

mark777 wrote:. Meanwhile, the 10% reduction in pay for management has been tossed out the window. No longer an issue, not even an option. .

when and why did this happen?

If the RR is so determined to cut staffing levels WHO kept putting out the order to hire hire hire the last 3 years?? (over a hundred trainmen and engineers).
who is running the asylum up there? the inmates?

If the RR is overstaffed why do they continue to give out generous amounts of Relief day work?? isn't that one area of excess that could be cut immediatly? why doesn't someone just say 'from now on do not call anyone to work on their day off for O.T. (relief day work)'.


the rumor mill around here is starting to just get silly, yes they are going to cut 300 jobs in one year, gimmie a break. meanwhile they continue to qualify the bottom of the roster at a break-neck pace. when someone who is making 75% of the AC rate qualifes and runs they are paid at 100% of the conductor rate, that is a siginificant raise. if they just delayed the qualifying process i'm sure they could save millions.

cutting 300 jobs over 5 years would mostly happen through attrition (not replacing those who leave or retire), not through layoffs. 2 years from now if the economy kicks into high gear and the real estate tax revenue booms again all this will be forgotten and we will go back to the 'we have to hire hundreds of people for ESA', the same nonsense that they said 4 years ago which led to this 'overstaffing' problem.

There is a new sheriff in town. He will try to make good on all past sins of the MTA.

2010
Long Island Rail Road Service Reductions
Includes Changes to Commuter Rail Service
REVISED

http://www.mta.info/news/pdf/LIRR_Revis ... hanges.pdf

The last 18 Engineers on the roster just received word this week that effective May 15, 2010, they will be furloughed. They were not told details as to when they would be called back for service or if the Railroad would create another job for them in the interim. In addition, the BLE is sitting idle while A.S. and the UTU negotiate to secure secondary jobs for furloughed Trainmen.

Unless I missed something Is there a reason weekend service on the Far Rockaway branch is not being cut? They cry about horns, well cut their service too!
I do hope specific special event tickets will be issued for SAME DAY ONLY service, and NOT be valid for 6 months like they were last year. When people used them AFTER GETTING FREE RIDES OVER THE SUMMER!!! a cool Million lost due to lack of educated decisions.
The CITY ticket theory should be implicated on ALL special tickets. such as summer packages and tickets issued through show sales ect..
Before more disastrous cuts take place, they need to cut the wasteful spending and policies. They seriously need to make transportation collection more company friendly and not a free for all for the Public.
Strict tariffs/regulations on the use of the tickets.
Monthlies/weeklies must be signed or simply not accepted. No excuses.
Large items: If the Item is on a seat, in a door egress or in an egress isle then the passenger must PAY for this item!
Heck Airlines do it. so can the LIRR/MNCR.
Surf boards should require a permit such as bikes do.
Bike/surf board permits should have to be renewable at $5.00 per year.
Small things like this add up quick with the number of people that ride!

ADL6009 : Not surprised that you havent heard about the change of heart with regards to managers pay rate, and that the 10% cut was now taken off the table. I was also told by a few people that a TINY TINY article on the newspaper, probably Newsday, that made mention of this a week ago, claiming that the LIRR "found money" to keep the managers pay the same. Funny how they haven't found money to keep service the way it is, just like they found money suddenly to keep service operating east of Ronkonkoma. If the kitchen doesn't smell fishy yet, it will soon.

RogerOverOutRR : It may seem that the UTU is coming to the rescue for Trainmen that are getting laid off, but how many jobs can they fill? If they are looking to get rid of more trainmen in the nearer future, it wouldn't seem too cool to those with higher seniority to not be offered jobs if or when they are laid off would it? it's a can of worms that if opened, will cause more harm than good. Maybe those who are in the BLE might be looking further down the road and realizing that some things can't be done.

The unions can't expect for anyone up in Albany to come in for the rescue now. Like many other unions around the country are finding out is that you can't make threats to politicians when there is NO MONEY. Governor Paterson is already a lame duck, and the rest up there have turned it all into a circus. Nothing is getting done at all, and the state is in shambles. What a better opportunity for the MTA to run while the getting is good? Unless the UTU and BLE have someone even higher in DC who can come in and create the money, nothing can be done to stop it from happening. You already see that Walder has the option to use stimulus monies that are available to the MTA to help stop service cuts, but he chose NOT to. Everyone can look at which ever way they want to, but aside from screwing the employees in labor, they are screwing the public out of their money. The more things change, the more things stay the same.

Why cut Pt Washington service to 1 hour OFF PEAK when this branch has a lower cost for operation and higher revenue? Did anyone see the chart that the LIRR released a few weeks back that showed what it cost to run each branch and what the passengers on each of those branches were actually covering in expense? The Pt Wash branch was by far one of the best performers while branches like mainline east of KO and W. Hemp were the lowest! The trains on the Pt Wash branch are crowded as is with half hour service, imagine how it will be with hourly service like it was back in 2004?? A mad house! Why do they still have the City zone tickets then? why not charge people the actual fare on weekday off peak trains? why do people east of Zone 3 have to pay more?